enhttp://www.BerzinArchives.com/web/x/nav/group.html_1516522100.htmlThe Three Rounds of Transmission of the Dharma (The Three Turnings of the Wheel)Tue, 03 Mar 2015 02:44:40 +0100720Copyright: The Berzin Archives, www.BerzinArchives.comDr. Alexander BerzinDr. Alexander Berzinhttp://www.BerzinArchives.com/web/images/global/logo.gifThe Three Rounds of Transmission of the Dharma (The Three Turnings of the Wheel)http://www.BerzinArchives.com/web/x/nav/group.html_1516522100.html100145The Three Rounds of Transmission of the Dharma (The Three Turnings of the Wheel)Dr. Alexander BerzincleanThe Three Rounds of Transmission of the Dharma (The Three Turnings of the Wheel)http://www.BerzinArchives.com/media/audio/en/hi/3_rounds_transmission_dharma/3_rounds_transmission_dharma-32bit.mp3http://www.BerzinArchives.com/media/audio/en/hi/3_rounds_transmission_dharma/3_rounds_transmission_dharma-32bit.mp3(<em><a href="http://www.BerzinArchives.com/media/audio/en/hi/3_rounds_transmission_dharma/3_rounds_transmission_dharma-32bit.mp3" style="font-size:smaller" title="The Three Rounds of Transmission of the Dharma (The Three Turnings of the Wheel)">audio + transcript</a></em>) <br /><br />This morning we are going to be speaking about the teachings of the Buddha, actually, and how he taught them and how we understand them. The actual title that was announced is “The Turning of the Dharma Wheel and the Development of the Four Philosophical Schools”.<br /><br /> <strong>Buddha in Hinayana</strong><br /><br /> After Buddha achieved enlightenment (he achieved enlightenment at the age of 35), he taught until he passed away at the age of 81. If we look at the Pali canon (Pali is a language of India), it’s the textual tradition of the Theravada school, so if we look at that then we find one way of describing how Buddha taught. In these texts it always describes the setting of how Buddha taught one particular teaching or another, and it was mostly as a part of an invitation that Buddha and his monks received. They lived by alms, collecting alms, so different people invited them to a meal, for lunchtime, and then after lunch the Buddha gave a talk.<br /><br /> Buddha always taught with what is known as “skillful means”. In other words, he taught in a way that would be understandable and suitable to each of his audiences. So although when we look at the material of the actual contents of Buddha’s teachings, and if we look at it just from a dissociated point of view, it looks as though there are many contradictions in it; however, yesterday what I mentioned was that everything has to be understood within a context, and so each teaching has to be understood within the context of the audience to whom Buddha was<a href="http://www.BerzinArchives.com/media/audio/en/hi/3_rounds_transmission_dharma/3_rounds_transmission_dharma-32bit.mp3" title="The Three Rounds of Transmission of the Dharma (The Three Turnings of the Wheel)">...</a> <br /><br /><a href="http://www.BerzinArchives.com/media/audio/en/hi/3_rounds_transmission_dharma/3_rounds_transmission_dharma-32bit.mp3" style="font-size:smaller" title="The Three Rounds of Transmission of the Dharma (The Three Turnings of the Wheel)">http://www.BerzinArchives.com/media/audio/en/hi/3_rounds_transmission_dharma/3_rounds_transmission_dharma-32bit.mp3</a>Sun, 11 Aug 2013 13:21:48 +0100